


The Perfect Pumpkin

by sociallyawkward_fics



Series: Leaves 'Verse [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pumpkins, pumpkin patch
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 04:57:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8388037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sociallyawkward_fics/pseuds/sociallyawkward_fics
Summary: Sam and Dean had never really celebrated many holidays, but when Cas come to Dean asking about fall and Halloween traditions Dean just can't say no.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second work in this series. To fully understand it please go read the first, Fall, before reading this one. That aside, please enjoy!

 "Dean."

Dean jumped at the voice behind him. He hadn't even heard the flutter of Cas's wings when he'd flown in. "Damn, we really need to get you a bell."

Cas narrowed his eyes at Dean, but left the conversation alone. It was an old and frequent argument. "Dean, I've been doing some research on humanity and their seasonal customs ever since we played in the leaves-"

Dean's face went pink at the reminder.

"-and I have discovered a great number of seasonal traditions. I would like to partake in them."

"And, uh, what 'seasonal traditions' might these be?" Dean asked hesitantly.

"For the remainder of the month of October, pumpkin carving, the celebration of Halloween with candy and costumes, and watching movies of the horror genre on Halloween night."

Dean sighed. "Cas, you see, Sam and I aren't really all that into holidays anymore. Especially Halloween."

Cas began to pout (though he would probably deny it if asked) and Dean felt his resolve breaking. "You will not assist me in my research, then?"

"I'm not really the best guy to be going to for holidays, Cas. We haven't really celebrated them much since Mom died. Sure, I took Sam out trick-or-treating a few times, but that's it. I don't really know what to do for holidays. Maybe you can find someone else to help?" Dean turned back to his research and tried to ignore the guilt bubbling in his stomach.

"I have been informed that holidays are to be spent with friends and family. You and Sam are both. I have no one else to ask."

Dean let out a sigh as he gave in. There was no way he could fight Cas if he pulled the family card.

"Alright," he said. "We'll get pumpkins."

Cas's face lit up and Dean decided celebrating Halloween was worth it if he got to see that look on Cas.

"Shall we drive to the store now?" Cas asked, looking even more eager than when he had arrived.

Dean looked at him as if he had grown a second head. "No way!"

Cas's face fell and he looked at Dean in confusion. He rushed the clarify.

"I only meant that store bought pumpkins are shit. They never look nice and they're small. If we want the good stuff, we'll have to plan a trip to the pumpkin patch."

Cas lit up again. "When can we go?"

Dean sighed and looked at the large texts scattering the tables in the library. He and Sam could use a break.

"We can go tomorrow," Dean said. "It's been quiet lately, we can afford a day off. I'll let Sam know."

Cas full on grinned at him, and Dean felt himself blush.

"I will see you tomorrow, then," Cas said, and then he was gone.

Dean stood with a grunt and arched his back to get rid of the ache that had started up about an hour ago. He let out a pleased sigh when he felt a _crack_ and went off to find Sam.

He found his moose of a brother in the kitchen, cleaning up the microwave meal Dean had eaten for dinner with a scowl.

"Really?" Sam asked him. "You can't even throw away a little plastic container?"

Dean shrugged with a smirk. He didn't tell Sam he did it just to annoy him. Instead he said, "We're going to the pumpkin patch tomorrow and you're coming whether you want to or not."

Sam looked up at him. "But Dean, the-"

"Nope. We're taking a break. _You're_ taking a break. And we're going to the pumpkin patch."

Sam sighed. "And who is 'we?'"

"Cas and me. Cas wanted to go, I told him we would tomorrow."

Dean watched the smirk slowly form on Sam's face and quickly left the room before the teasing began.

"You can't run forever, Dean!"

He didn't respond. Instead, we went to his room and started getting ready for bed. Sure, it was earlier than he usually went to sleep, but it was still late enough to try and get some shut eye. Plus, the extra hours would probably do him some good.

Dean fell asleep to thoughts of how Cas's eyes would light up when he saw all the pumpkins.  
  
Dean woke feeling more well-rested than he had in years, which was probably a good thing considering Cas was gonna drag them around the pumpkin patch like an excited kid today.

He got up and went into the kitchen, putting on a pot of coffee and pouring himself some cereal. Based on the fact that there was some fruit missing, Sam was already up and had gone on his run and had breakfast. The moose was probably in the library working away despite the fact that Dean declared the day a vacation day.

With terrible timing, Cas popped into existence right as Dean took a swig of coffee. Dean choked on his drink and it ended up all over the table and in his cereal. Cas watched on in wide-eyed confusion as Dean sputtered and tried to get his breath back.

Once he had regained the ability to speak, Dean half-heartedly glared up at Cas. "Really?" He rasped.

"My apologies, Dean. I did not expect you to be that surprised when I arrived."

Dean grumbled about bells as he threw out his ruined cereal and cleaned up the mess he made with his coffee.

“Are you and Sam ready to go yet?” Cas asked.

“We’re ready when you are,” Dean replied as he mopped up the coffee on the table with a paper towel.”

“I am ready now”

Dean looked up and gave Cas a once over. “Cas, man, you can’t wear _that_ to the pumpkin patch.”

Cas looked down at his usual suit and trenchcoat. “What is wrong with my attire?”

“It’s gonna get ruined if you walk through the patch wearing that. Here, I’ll go get some of my clothes for you to borrow.”

Dean walked through the library on the way to his room and plucked a large text out of Sam’s hands as he walked past.

“Dean-!” Sam started to protest.

“No,” Dean responded. “Vacation day. Go get ready.”

Sam grumbled and trailed behind Dean and Cas to get to his room.

Cas followed Dean into his room and stood a little too close as Dean dug through his dresser for something suitable for Cas to wear. He ended up giving him a faded pair of jeans and an old, worn band t-shirt.

“Here, put these on. I think I had some boots that were too small for me over by the closet somewhere. They’ll probably fit you.”

Cas smiled at him. “Thank you, Dean.”

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, trying not to look at that smile. “Yeah, no problem. Go ahead and get dressed in here. I’ll wait in the car.”

Dean quickly left the room and shut the door behind him. He ran a hand down his face.

 _I am so screwed_ , he thought, and he made his way to the Impala.

Not too long after, Sam and Cas joined him in the car. Seeing Cas in his clothes sent a spark of possessiveness through Dean, but he tried his best to push it down and ignore it. He’d been getting mixed signals from Cas ever since the day they played in the leaves and he didn't want to make things awkward between them.

The drive to the pumpkin patch was long and silent. Cas was too busy looking out the window searching for a sign that to show they were close. Sam napped in the passenger seat while Dean nodded his head along to his music.

When they finally got there, Cas was out of the car before Dean had even finished parking.

“Whoa, man, slow down!” Dean called out the window, sticking his head out to make sure Cas hadn’t gotten hurt.

“Dean, hurry up!” Cas called back.

Sam chuckled in the passenger seat. “He’s like a kid in a candy store.”

Dean laughed slightly at the joke. “Let’s get out there before he physically removes us from the car.”

The second Dean locked the car, Cas grabbed his hand and started running toward the entrance. Dean tried to reason with himself that the pink in his cheeks from from the exertion. It was one of the worst lies he’d ever tried to tell.

Dean paid for their admittance and got some of the tickets they sold for activities, knowing Cas would want to do everything. Dean thanked whatever deity was watching over them that day that they’d gotten there early and missed the rush of families with their small children.

The second they walked in and got a full view of the things they could do before even getting to the pumpkin patch itself, Cas’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. His eyes darted from thing to thing and he excitedly tugged on Dean’s hand as he pointed to each one. Dean hadn’t even realized they were still holding hands and his blush returned. He glared at the smug smile Sam shot him.

Dean looked around the place. There were giant bouncing pads dug into the ground that a few kids were bouncing on. Cas was sure to want to go on that, so Dean was especially glad they were early. Near that, there was a small train that seemed to take people for a ride through the corn. Further beyond that there was a giant pyramid made out of stacked hay bales. Kids pounded their little legs to beat each other to the top. Dean smirked. He was totally racing Sam and Cas up that later.Near the hay, there was a petting zoo. Cas seemed delighted at the thought of it, but Dean wrinkled his nose, already able to smell the barnyard animals from where he stood. Finally, there were the wagon trailers pulled by tractors to take them out into the pumpkin patch.

“So, Cas,” Dean said. “What’s first?”

Cas turned to Dean wide-eyed, as if he couldn’t believe the decision was left up to him. His eyes scanned the area carefully before landing on where the kids were bouncing. He pointed with his free hand.

“Over there,” Cas said.

“Well, then, let’s go. You coming, Sammy?” Dean turned back to look at his brother.

Sam chuckled. “What the hell.” He muttered and followed Dean and Cas to the bouncing pads.

The girl collecting tickets gave them a smile when they walked up. “Normally we don’t let adults in without kids,” she said, “but I think we can made an exception this once. Try to bounce on the one none of the kids are on. You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you,” Dean told her.

It was only after they walked in that Dean realized she probably only let them in because he and Cas hadn’t let go of their hands. She probably thought they were a couple.

Dean was surprisingly okay with that.

There were three of the bouncing pads, all parallel to each other. The boys took off their shoes and made their way to the one that had no kids on it. The sun warmed plastic burned their feet at first contact, but they grew used to it in time.

It was obvious that Cas was the most into it. Dean and Sam were constantly looking around to avoid being embarrassed by doing a “kid thing,” but Cas didn’t seem to have a care in the world.

He grabbed Dean’s hands again. “ _Jump_ , Dean. It’s supposed to be fun.” Dean slowly become more comfortable and was soon jumping along with Cas.

The two of them bounced up to Sam and bounced as heard as they could, sending him to the ground. From then on, the three of them had a competition to make the other two fall the most. At the end of the fifteen minutes, Cas had won. Dean swore Cas must’ve cheated as they pulled their shoes back on. Sam just shook his head, watching them fondly.

As they walked out of the fenced area, Dean turned to Sam. “Alright, Sammy, your turn to pick.”

Sam raised his eyebrows, but looked around for something to do without question. “Why don’t we head to the petting zoo next?”

Dean groaned, but complied and the three started walking toward the animals. The smell got stronger with every step, but Dean tried to shove his discomfort down. He would do this. For Sam and Cas.

Dean handed the bored looking teenager a few tickets and he gave them a couple of small cups with food pellets in them to give to the animals. Sam and Cas walked around, petting and feeding every animal they saw while Dean stuck close to the exit, ready to go when the two were done.

At one point, Cas looked over at Dean and frowned. He walked up to him.

“If you are not enjoying yourself, you can wait elsewhere. Sam and I will come find you.”

Dean smiled. “Nah, it’s fine. We’re supposed to be hanging out. I’m not gonna ruin your fun.”

Cas started at him for a few moments before grabbing his wrist and pulling him further into the tent. “Come look at this calf. It’s very soft.”

They spent at least 10 more minutes in the petting zoo before Sam and Cas had finally gotten enough. Once they had washed their hands and walked far away enough for the smell to fade Dean took a deep breath. Then he grinned.

“Race you to the top of the pyramid,” he said, and took off.

“That’s cheating!” Sam called after him. He heard his brother’s pounding footsteps behind him.

Neither one expected Cas to pass them both and start hopping up the hay bales with an insane amount of grace.

Sam and Dean exchanged a look before they both sped up to try and compete with the angel.

They reached the top out of breath and sat down on the hay. Cas looked down at them smugly from where he stood on the top hay bale.

“You should know by now not to challenge an angel,” he said.

Dean tilted his head back and looked at Cas upside-down. “Yeah, I guess I should,” he said with a grin.

After the boys had caught their breath Dean asked, “Are we ready to go get the pumpkins, then?”

Cas frowned. “We have not yet gone on the train.”

Sam stood up. “Why don’t you two go on the train and I’ll go grab us some of that overpriced food. It’s almost lunch time. Just come find me when you’re done.”

Dean shrugged. “Sounds good to me. Cas?”

Cas nodded. “That would be acceptable.”

Cas and Dean made their way to the little train station and gave the woman their tickets. She smiled at them knowingly and it made Dean squirm. They weren’t even touching, were they really that transparent?

The train pulled up and the previous passengers emptied out. Cas grabbed Dean’s arm and pulled him towards the last car, as it had less seats than the others. Most other people who had been waiting sat towards the front. They sat on the same bench and Cas grabbed Dean’s hand as they started moving.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

A couple minutes into the ride, Cas turned away from the corn to look at Dean. “Today has been very fun. Thank you for agreeing to come.”

Dean rubbed the back of his neck again in embarrassment. “C’mon, man, no need to thank me. Plus, the day’s not even over yet.”

Cas smiled at him and squeezed his hand before turning back to the window.

If they were not in a public place, Dean would’ve gently cupped Cas’s chinned, turned his face toward Dean, and kissed him. However, on this train they were surrounded by people. There would be no telling their reactions and Dean was too cowardly to face that. So instead, Dean squeezed Cas’s hand back and leaned in a little closer.

When the train ride ended, they found Sam seated at a table under a tarp to get out of the sun. He had gotten them all food and drinks, and while the food was way overpriced for how it tasted, it was still decent. They ate quickly because Cas seemed restless and he kept shooting glances towards the tractors.

Dean and Sam went to throw away their trash and Cas pounced. He jumped up from the table and started dragging them both towards one of the wagons attached to the tractors. Even with how fast Cas was pulling them, the three barely made it on time before the tractor left to the pumpkin patch.

The line was longer than Dean thought it would be (though it only took a few of minutes, he was almost as impatient as Cas), so he passed the time by listening to Sam and Cas debate the characteristics of what made the perfect pumpkin.

The tractor finally stopped and people unloaded. Cas bounced out of his seat and rushed down the steps so fast he was afraid Cas was going to fall and hurt himself. Dean and Sam followed more carefully.

“Alright, Cas,” Dean said once they were all standing on solid ground, “this applies to you too, Sam. You can get any pumpkin you want as long as you can carry it. Cas, to get a pumpkin off the vine, just stomp on the part close to the stem until it breaks. Careful not to lose the stem, though, you’re gonna want that if you’re planning on carving it.”

Sam squinted at Dean. “How do you know all this? We’ve never been to a pumpkin patch before.”

Dean looked down. “Mom, uh. Mom took me one year. When she was still alive.”

Sam looked down as well.

“Anyway,” Dean said with fake cheeriness. “Go find your pumpkins.”

After ten minutes, Dean found the pumpkin he wanted. It was a little on the smaller side, but it was perfectly round and it was one of the only white ones he’d seen. While he wasn’t going to carve it, he still thought it would look nice. He picked a tall orange one nearby as well, so he would have something to carve if Sam and Cas decided they wanted to carve theirs.

Five minutes later, Sam walked up to Dean with his pumpkin. It wasn’t very tall, which could make it difficult to carve, but it was wide and Sam seemed pleased with his choice.

Cas took longer than the two of them combined. Dean watched as he examined each pumpkin with care, crouching it and rolling it around to check all sides. As time passed, he looked up at Sam and Dean more and more frequently, always with a worried expression on his face. Dean just smiled and waved at him to continue, wanting Cas to be pleased with his choice.

After nearly thirty minutes, Cas walked back to where they were waiting for the next tractor. His pumpkin was large and round with a perfect stem and almost no blemishes.

Dean raised his eyebrows. Cas smiled back in satisfaction.

He looked at Sam. “I told you I knew what the perfect pumpkin looked like.”

Sam threw his head back and laughed.

Once the tractor finally got there, they piled into the wagon and joked around the whole way back. They joked all the way to the checkout where their pumpkins got weighed. Dean paid and they made their way back to the car.

Sam volunteered to sit in the backseat with the pumpkins, which Dean was immediately suspicious about. Sam hated the backseat because he could barely fit. He rarely volunteered to sit back there. But as Cas sat in the passenger seat, Dean saw what Sam had been planning.

Cas reached his hand over the seat and offered it palm up to Dean. For some reason this felt different than the hand holding they’d been doing all day. So far, Cas had just grabbed his hand at kept holding it. This time it was an offer. It sent warm butterflies into Dean’s stomach as he gently set his hand it Cas’s.

Cas smiled at his as Dean began pulling out of the lot and Dean couldn’t help but smile back.

Pretty quickly on the trip home, Sam and Cas both fell asleep, and Dean couldn’t hold back his yawns. Dean didn’t question why Cas was sleeping, he knew the guy’s mojo was running low these days. When they got to the bunker, they all grunted with the effort of having to carry the pumpkins inside.

Sam went straight to the bathroom to shower before bed and Dean collapsed on a chair to wait for his turn.

Cas walked in behind him and sat down as well. “I had fun today, Dean.”

Dean smiled lazily at him. “Yeah?”

Cas smiled back. “Yes.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, just staring at each other. It felt peaceful. It felt right. Then, Cas spoke.

“When Can we decorate the bunker for Halloween? And carve the pumpkins.”

Dean threw back his head and laughed. It was going to be one long, busy week.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, and please let me know what you thought by leaving a kudos or comment. You can also find me on tumblr at [sociallyawkward--fics](sociallyawkward--fics.tumblr.com).


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